5 th Bn Northamptonshire Regiment

Discussion in 'British Army Units - Others' started by majorbas, Dec 13, 2020.

  1. majorbas

    majorbas Member

    Good afternoon

    I am tracking Lt Barrington Balle's action with 5 Northants in 1943.

    Are you able to fill in any gaps please? The War Diary is not digitised at TNA.

    Posted to 5 Northants 5/6/43
    Rank confirmed 12/6/43 ( ex Monmouthshire Regt)
    Syracuse 25/7/43
    Wounded 9/8/43
    Flown to Tripoli
    Reposted 5 Northants 3/9/43
    Left Messina 20/9/43
    Landed Taranto 21/9/43
    CCS with Malaria, reposted 5 Northants
    9- 16/10/43
    Discharged 8/12/43

    to 3CRV -- any thoughts to this battalion???

    thanks anticipation
     
  2. idler

    idler GeneralList

  3. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    Presume you mean 255785 Lt BC BALLE

    Edit, text in red is INCORRECT, please ignore: He enlisted with the Royal Army Service Corps, on the casualty list he is listed as Welch Regt and was wounded 8 Aug 43 whilst attached to 5 Bn Northamptonshire Regt. The regiment were part of 11 Infantry Bde, 78 Battleaxe Division.

    You won't find WW2 diaries at TNA online, you will have to visit or enlist the services of members who offer a copying service. Also worth using the Forum's search facility.

    From 56 Recce diaries:
    7 August 43
    During the night ADERNO (Adrano) was taken by 11 Inf Bde.
    0800 C Sqn now u/c 11 Inf Bde together with 2nd Lancashire Fusiliers and a battery of 25 pounders (SP), a squadron of Shermans of 50 RTR and some REs proceeded north from ADERNO towards BRONTE. During the day force mentioned above proceeded along road to BRONTE - much delay caused by telermines, S mines, craters and isolated enemy MG posts.

    8 August 43
    A Sqn in harbour for the day. B Sqn ordered north of ADERNO u/c 36 Inf Bde. During the day C Sqn u/c 11 Inf Bde patrolled area north of BRONTE which had finally been taken by the Brigade during the previous night. Progress was very slow, enemy demolitions on the BRONTE - RANDAZZO road combined with MG posts and mortar fire slowed movement down. Enemy artillery was active during the night and day.

    9 August 43
    C and A Sqns in harbour for the day. B Sqn u/c 36 Inf Bde pass through 11 Inf Bdes positions NE of BRONTE ....
     
    Last edited: Dec 17, 2020
  4. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    C Sqn report for period:
    C Sqn (1).jpg C Sqn (2).jpg C Sqn (3).jpg C Sqn (4).jpg

    ps. from your original post can we assume that you have his service records?
     
  5. majorbas

    majorbas Member


    Idler

    Many thanks for your generosity in offering so much information which has been most useful in my searches. Would you have a lead for me to follow for their time in Sicily?

    many thanks
    Bas
     
  6. majorbas

    majorbas Member

    Tony 46

    Many thanks for your rapid response- the 56 Recce diary entries will be a useful guide thank you.

    I have 255785 Balle as a member of Th eMonmouthshire Regiment, 1 Welch Regiment and a photo of him as an OR in a Welsh Guards battledress. Intriguing. His rank as Lt was confirmed in LG Supp 12/6/43

    once again, thank you
    Bas
     
  7. majorbas

    majorbas Member

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  8. majorbas

    majorbas Member

    Good afternoon

    Are you able to help? I am researching an officer who writes in his notes

    To 3CRV San Bascilio

    from 5th Northants in December 1943

    Is this a battalion, or...

    thanks in anticipation
     
  9. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    The Italian place name is San Basilio. This has a short history of the 5th Northants: 5th (Huntingdonshire) Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment - Wikipedia

    Plus: 5th (Huntingdon) Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment

    Longer and in one long passage so I gave up trying to isolate the period you seek: Ivor Cutler, 5th Battalion, The Northamptonshire Regiment

    This thread: 1st Bn Green Howards in Italy in Post 29 refers to a camp there in January-February 1944.

    The NZETC History has a few, undated (possibly November 1943) references to the location:
    There is a clue that a British base Hospital was there before them.

    *Note Idler only a few days ago, for the same query responded:
    From: 5 th Bn Northamptonshire regiment

    In 2016 this thread, Post 16 has a hint too:
    From: Can anyone help with a soldiers diary?

    A militaria website refers to:
    From: Geoff Newman Militaria

    I think that CRV is a reference to the RAMC. However there is an alternative: Corps Reinforcement Unit (CRU), as your previous thread has more information, minus any indication of an injury, so I would opt for CRU.
    See: Second World War Abbreviations and Acronyms - Researching WW2
     
    Last edited: Dec 15, 2020
    CL1 likes this.
  10. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    Last edited: Dec 16, 2020
    majorbas likes this.
  11. idler

    idler GeneralList

    Thanks for the feedback!
     
    majorbas likes this.
  12. majorbas

    majorbas Member

    Davidbfpo

    thank you for your response which has been very helpful and helped my thinking. I am going with CRU as from a contextual point of view he had been discharged from treatment for malaria two months beforehand ( so no need for medical treatment) and had been discharged from 5 Northants on 8th December. On 14th December he became town major in Vasto.

    Bas
     
  13. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    Bas,

    After my post I realised that there were previous posts scattered around here with CRU explained, even a few with 3 CRU.
     
  14. barerootbonsai

    barerootbonsai Junior Member

    Hi Bas I did a lot of research on Jack Dolton found on here a while back if you check it out I have a lot of pics, dates. He was killed in Sicily.

    there is a book.

    The 5th Battalion in North Africa and Sicily printed by G.O.J. Harris, The Press On The Lake , Sandwich, Kent.
     
  15. majorbas

    majorbas Member

    Thanks David

    I'll explore

    Bas
     
  16. majorbas

    majorbas Member

    Thanks barefootbonsai
    I'll do a search- was he 5 Northants?

    bas
     
  17. barerootbonsai

    barerootbonsai Junior Member

    He was in the Royal engineers ( Armorer) and was attached to them from the Torch landings and killed with 7 others in a bombing raid near Catanovia, mid Sicily. I did not research after I am afraid.

    There is a 5th Northampton's museum in Northampton.

    good luck
     
  18. majorbas

    majorbas Member

    Thank you barerootbonsai

    I'm intrigued about his serving in the Royal Engineers. He survived the war. Tony56 says he was with the RASC.

    Certainly he started with the Monmouthshires as private (after possibly a short time with Welsh Guards) was attached to 5 Northants after promotion to Lt.and in December 1943 was discharged form the Northants. Became Town Major

    Absence of MOD records is a frustration.

    Bas
     
  19. idler

    idler GeneralList

    An armourer is more likely to have been Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME). They were formed in 1942 from personnel from a number of other Corps, so that might account for a transfer from RASC (though I don't think Armourer was one of their trades).

    Hopefully the service records will clear it all up.
     
  20. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    Surely the reference to the Royal Engineers by 'barerootbonsai' concerns Jack Dolton not Lt Balle, or have I got it wrong? Edit, text in red is INCORRECT, please ignore: To be clear Balle enlisted with the RASC, as his service number comes within that group, whether he served with them, and for how long, if at all, will only be revealed by his service records. My post #4 asked if you already had his official records because of the detail that you quoted in your original post, if you haven't got his records, why not send off for them, they will answer the questions. Where did your information come from?
    Get a copy of military service records: Apply for the records of someone who's deceased - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
     
    Last edited: Dec 17, 2020

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